# Western Michigan University: Political Science (bachelor's)

Kalamazoo, MI. IPEDS 172699, CIP 45.10. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-michigan-university/majors/political-science

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $38,744
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $54,840 (U.S. median for this major: $61,935 across 561 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $26,564 (U.S. median $23,457)
- Rank in MI: 6 of 12 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the MI median for this major (12 colleges, $53,050): +$1,790
- Versus the U.S. median: -$7,095

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.61 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $54,840 minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $5,263 | $24,262 | 1.1 years |
| 30-48k | $5,734 | $26,434 | 1.2 years |
| 48-75k | $13,833 | $63,770 | 3.0 years |
| 75-110k | $18,307 | $84,395 | 3.9 years |
| 110k+ | $23,625 | $108,911 | 5.1 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Political Science at MI colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $77,480 | $18,862 | $13,138 | 93% |
| Michigan State University | $67,032 | $22,576 | $19,680 | 81% |
| Hope College | $62,936 | $24,499 | $27,182 | 80% |
| Wayne State University | $61,466 | $23,812 | $12,766 | 58% |
| University of Michigan-Dearborn | $58,641 | $23,175 | $9,492 | 58% |
| Western Michigan University | $54,840 | $26,564 | $15,273 | 58% |
| Eastern Michigan University | $51,261 | $27,000 | $15,407 | 46% |
| Oakland University | $51,129 | $23,054 | $9,120 | 58% |
| Northern Michigan University | $50,520 | $16,199 | $14,085 | 52% |
| Central Michigan University | $50,462 | $27,239 | $17,597 | 59% |
| Grand Valley State University | $48,896 | $24,250 | $16,317 | 67% |
| Kalamazoo College | $45,265 | $26,383 | $19,072 | 76% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $72,410 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI, $66,030 MI, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061): median wage not reported Kalamazoo-Portage, MI, $60,210 MI, $61,990 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).